SALISBURY, Md. (5/13/11) – The Kean University softball team advanced in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament with a 13-5, five-inning win over #20 Virginia Wesleyan College in an elimination game on Friday morning.
The Cougars (17-26) had 14 hits, as sophomore third baseman Courtney Melchionna (pictured left) was 3-of-4 with four RBI and two runs scored and freshman Sandra Binkiewicz was 3-of-3 with three runs scored.
For the Marlins, catcher Jaclyn Quinn was 2-of-2, as she had four RBI and two runs scored on two homeruns.
Kean now awaits the loser of the Shenandoah University/Salisbury University game tomorrow at Noon.
After Virginia Wesleyan took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Cougars took the lead in the bottom of the second inning with four runs and followed with a pair of runs in the third and three runs in the fourth inning, before closing out the five-inning victory with four more runs in the fifth inning.
The Marlins opened the scoring in the first inning when first baseman Season Dailey had a sacrifice fly to score lead-off batter Brenae Pettit, who opened the game off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on the sacrifice bunt. Third baseman Brianna Bertovich then doubled and Quinn followed with her first homerun of the game for the 3-0 Marlin lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Cougars took the lead for good with four runs on four hits and one Marlin error.
Binkiewicz and Melchionna led off the inning with a double and single to put runners on the corners and freshman designated player Kelly Moorehead followed two batters later with the RBI single to drive in Binkiewicz (pictured right). After a Marlin error on a fielder's choice groundout loaded the bases, senior centerfielder Lindsay Kennedy tied the game with a two-run double to right-centerfielder and pinch runner Kelsey Hannan scored the go-ahead run on the sacrifice fly by junior shortstop Alicia Banz.
The Cougars extended the lead to 6-3 an inning later on the two-run single by catcher Nicole Scarillo.
Quinn's second two-run homerun of the game pulled the Marlins to 
within 6-5 in the top of the fourth inning, before the Cougars closed out the win with seven more runs over the final two innings of play.
The Marlins intentionally walked Binkiewicz in the bottom of the fourth inning to load the bases with two-outs, setting up a bases-clearing double by Melchionna and Melchionna drove in the final run of the game an inning later with a sacrifice fly to close out the win.
Kennedy, who attended graduation ceremonies yesterday, finished 2-of-2 with two RBI and two runs scored, while freshman right fielder Megan Cegielski (pictured left) was 2-of-3 with two runs scored.
Senior right-hander Courtney Smyth picked up the complete game victory and moved into a tie for second place in the Kean record books with her 41st career win. She scattered six hits and three walks, while striking out four.
